Caught in The Devil's Hands
by Dattebayodobe
Summary: She made my skin crawl whenever she was in my vicinity. She was a whole new person, someone I didn't even know. She was an enigma and I hated it. I planned on breaking down every single one of her walls. I was going to find out just whom Sakura Haruno was. SasuSaku.
1. Home Sweet Home

So, I'm actually attempting at another story while cleaning up my other stories. Mind you, I wrote those stories about five years ago so there's going to be serious changes. I had this insane urge to write and hopefully it sparks some interests among readers. Here we go!

* * *

Summary: She made my skin crawl whenever she was in my vicinity. She was a whole new person, someone I didn't even know. She was an enigma and I hated it. I planned on breaking down every single one of her walls. I was going to find out just whom Sakura Haruno was.

Rushing from room to room in the hospital and fulfilling the demands of each needy patient was all a blur to me. The only thing on my mind at that moment in time was that _they_ were back. I pumped as much chakra as I could into my current patient. Kneading his bones back together and restoring the flesh that was brutally torn apart was an easy task. I gave my patient a sincere smile and assured him he would be released in a day or two.

The war had ended. Obito and Madara were finally removed from the world. It was anything but an easy task to eliminate them. Naruto was on the verge of unconsciousness when Sasuke stepped into the battle. Obito was defeated by Naruto's hands before he let darkness overcome him and Sasuke defeated Madara with much effort before he too blacked out. I was on the battlefield as well watching from afar while I healed as many people as I could. When I saw both of them fall I ran to the scene in a blink of an eye. Once I healed their major wounds assuring them that they were out of danger, I ordered a pair of medics to escort their bodies back to the village. I had to stay on the battlefield to make sure everyone else made it out safely.

Later on it was reported that Obito's and Madara's bodies were found and disposed of. No one had to worry about their reign again. I swiftly walked through the blank and dull hallways of the hospital. I started down at the light blue tiled floor pondering what my next move would be. I knew for sure I wasn't going to face my ex teammate. There was no way in hell I was going to give him the time of the day. Not for a couple months that is. Luckily Naruto and _him_ were in separate rooms.

I turned the brass doorknob and peeked my head into the room. I saw the bush of sunshine colored hair resting upon the hospital pillow and silently walked in. I grabbed a chair from the corner and brought it over to his bedside. I took this time to observe him. A distinct and defined jaw and bone structure along with his glowing tan skin was almost breath taking. He certainly evolved into a fine specimen. Finally his eyes gradually fluttered open and adjusted to the bright lighting in the room. His endless ocean blue eyes rested on myself and I couldn't help but smile.

Naruto and I have gotten inseparably close in the past couple of years. He was by my side through every tragedy and every accomplishment that occurred in my life. He knew exactly how it felt to be abandoned by your own teammate. He knew what it felt like to lose someone so close to you. We were always there for each other no matter what. He watched me evolve into the kunoichi I am today and I've watched him grow into the best ninja ever. I quickly abandoned the chair and gave my best friend a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm so happy you're safe."

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for this beautiful and amazingly talented medic." He wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner and I couldn't suppress my laughter. I really was incredibly worried. I've built up walls so long and high that it would blow the wall of china out of the water. There were few people that have climbed over these walls and into my heart. I wish I could be as emotionally vacant as _him_ but truth was I just didn't have it in me. I learned my lesson though. I no longer welcomed newcomers into my life with open arms and I was happy that way. I had everything I needed and I didn't plan on letting anyone ruin that.

"Where's Sasuke? Did he make it out? Is he okay?" I was bombarded with the numerous questions I was dreading to answer. I said with apparent disgust,

"Sasuke's here, I heard he's fine but I haven't checked on him myself so I can't really say how he's doing." He just stared at me with those bottomless blue eyes and this comforting expression. He knew I didn't want to see _him _and he knew I wasn't planning on visiting anytime soon.

"You'll be able to get out of here in a day or two and I'll check up on you to make sure you're healing well."

"I'm going to try and get out tomorrow, you know hospitals aren't really my thing and I have tons of training to do! I can't wait to see everyone and train with them," I chuckled to myself. He just woke up and he was already planning on going back to training. I gathered my things and got ready to leave, as I was halfway out the door I looked back and smiled warmly at my patient.

"I'm glad you're safe Naruto." He looked at me for a second and then smiled at me sincerely and said,

"I'm glad to be back Sak."

* * *

The next day was beautiful out. I could feel the heat on my head through my straw hat. It was my day off and I wanted to enjoy the weather. I had on a pair of glittery jelly sandals and a mid thigh white sundress with sunflowers on them accompanied by a light shade of purple eye shadow to accent my emerald green eyes along with eyeliner and mascara. Walking around the farmer's market was a circus. More people were staring at me than usual and I grew suspicious. I heard the faint whispers of a conversation and felt my blood boil.

"_Did you hear? He's back. The last Uchiha boy is back."_

"_I heard he plans on finding a bride as soon as possible and starting a family."_

"_Who do you think he'll choose? That Haruno girl?"_

"_I actually heard he already a bride and it was that female team mate he brought back with him."_

"_That red headed girl? She's much too flashy for him."_

"_I doubt that Haruno girl will take him, that boy is incapable of love and she's too sweet for a damaged person like him." _

I grabbed my groceries and power walked through the crowd with blinding speed. I hated it. I hated the gossip of the civilians. They knew nothing about my teammates or me. It infuriated me to overhear the assumptions of these ignorant human beings. I made my way to my apartment and almost broke off the door in a blinding rage. I stepped into my house and sat on one of the stools and took a deep breath. I couldn't let these miniscule nuisances get to me. I unpacked my groceries and put them in their rightful places.

My house was everything I wanted it to be. I moved out of my parent's house a couple years ago to get a feel of being independent. It was a two-floor apartment and was quite spacious. The first floor contained a living room with two matching couches facing each other with a coffee table in the middle and a bookshelf against the wall, a kitchen with an island with a dark marble top in the middle and a couple bar stools, a dining room with a table and tatami mats for seats and two bathrooms. On the second floor were seven bedrooms and two bathrooms. All the floors were beautiful hardwood floors and the walls were single shaded colors and there were several beautiful plants and flowers around the house. It was a relaxing setting and that's what I needed.

As I finished putting my groceries away I heard the door open and saw my roommate make his way into the kitchen.

"I told you I'd get out early!" I ran and tackled him to the ground.

"Naruto! You dummy! You need to be more careful. You can't put too much strain on yourself, you just got out of the hospital which means no training this week, promise?"

"Awh c'mon Sak! What am I supposed this entire week if I can't even train?"

"Doctors order Naruto! Now promise me you won't train for the rest of the week!"

"Fine fine fine, I promise." I gave him one more bear hug before I helped him back on his feet. If I was 12 I probably would be mortified at the idea of living with Naruto but being 20 now and living with him was the most fun and best decisions I've ever made. There were some ground rules, face it, if there weren't both of us would be obese from the ramen intake and our house would be known as the new wasteland. Naruto could keep his room as dirty as he wanted but the rest of the house had to stay spotless and we could only have ramen once a week. He was reluctant to agree to the ramen part but I got him to budge when I gave him my puppy dog eyes. Before we could really sit down and talk there was a knock at the door and we both scurried to answer it. An anbu appeared before us and said,

"The hokage requires Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzamaki for a meeting immediately." And with that the anbu disappeared in a cloud of smoke and Naruto and I used the rooftops to get to the tower. We climbed the stairs quickly with anticipation and knocked on the door. We heard a faint 'enter' and followed orders. I felt my heart sink into my stomach as I saw the person I was trying so hard to avoid along with his three other teammates.

"Teme! You're okay!" Naruto tackled Sasuke to the ground and both took part in a friendly banter. I refused to look at him I stared at my sensei with cold eyes hoping she'd understand the silent hint that I would do anything to get away from _him. _

"Naruto, enough! We're here to discuss the arrangements of Team Hebi." I could feel a lump forming in my throat. I knew I wasn't going to like any of these arrangements and I was ready to make a run for it.

"Sasuke Uchiha you have committed several crimes and because of that I can't let you live alone and without punishment nonetheless. You and your teammates will carry the rank of a genin and only perform C and D rank missions and nothing above it for a year. If you disturb the peace or harm an innocent individual you will be imprisoned along with your teammates, do I make myself clear?

"C and D rank missions?! That's practically doing chores for other people. We are much more capable and skilled. I'm not wasting my talent on useless missions!" Karin and Suigetsu took turns arguing with the hokage until Sasuke threw them one of his 'cut the shit' glares and they immediately shut up. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Tsunade let out a deep sigh indicating her apparent annoyance with Team Hebi.

"As for living arrangements Team Hebi will live with Naruto and Sakura until Team Hebi can afford to buy their own place."

* * *

So there it is! Tell me what you guys think and if you have any suggestions! (:


	2. Big Bad Naruto

I was reading over my first chapter and noticed a couple grammar and spelling errors and I promise that won't happen again! I wrote the first chapter at around 4 AM and I kind of just published it without even looking over it. Thanks for the reviews! They really make my day and I love constructive criticism and hearing about your opinions on what you liked and what you didn't.

* * *

Summary: She made my skin crawl whenever she was in my vicinity. She was a whole new person, someone I didn't even know. She was an enigma and I hated it. I planned on breaking down every single one of her walls. I was going to find out just whom Sakura Haruno was.

_Recap: "As for living arrangements Team Hebi will live with Naruto and Sakura until Team Hebi can afford to buy their own place."_

* * *

I kept my cool on the outside and slipped on a blank mask. Something I grew accustomed too after being abandoned countless times by people I loved. On the inside was World War III. A wave of nausea overcame me. I grew light headed and my skin was flushed. I felt like I was dying. Scratch that. I would do anything to be dead right now. I would rather be tied to the back of a moving vehicle by my ankles and dragged along a road covered in broken glass. I would rather clean Naruto's disgusting mold filled and garbage piled room for a year. To put it frankly, I would rather do anything than live with _him. _

"Naruto, please escort Team Hebi to their new house. Also, none of you are allowed to walk around the village without an escort. Your escorts will be Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Yamato or Sai. Thee escorts can contact each other quickly in case one of you slip up. So watch yourselves. You're all free to leave now, except Sakura. I need to speak with you."

I was bracing myself for the conversation. I had a feeling I knew what it was going to be about and my insides were doing back flips. I looked over my shoulder real quick to steal a glance at Naruto but instead locked eyes with the Uchiha himself. He gave me his signature smirk and then followed after Naruto with his teammates in tow. This only riled me up more. Who the hell does he think he is? If he thinks I'm the same 12 year old that would kiss the ground he walked on he had another thing coming.

"Sakura, I know that you're not happy with the arrangements and that I'm putting you in a hard situation but there's really nothing else I can do. Is there anyway you could be civil with the Uchiha, for the sake of the village?" I looked down at the ground. I knew I couldn't let my shishou down and with Team Hebi now a part of Konoha we weren't a force to reckoned with they were great allies to us and I wasn't going to be the one to ruin that. Lady Tsunade and I have also created a strong bond over the years as well. She taught me how to fend for myself and how to be independent. I became a medic _because _of her. I wasn't going to throw a little hissy fit over a boy, especially not a Uchiha and his little followers.

"I'm so sorry Sakura, I know how hard this is for you, how about I help you out a little, okay? I'll send you on a couple easy solo missions to get you out of the house and away from them. Let Naruto take care of them for a while. By the time you come back from your missions they'll probably have most of the money to move out and then you won't have to see them at all." I felt myself physically relax and exhaled the breath that I was subconsciously holding this entire time. My shishou really was the best. She was always looking out for me and I couldn't ask for a better mentor. I let a small smile grace my lips as I ran over to her desk and hugged her. She's one of the few people that knew what I was going through.

"Thanks Shishou, I promise I won't let you down."

"I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to get you going on these missions it might take a month or two. I need to contact Suna and see if they need any medical assistance, I'm sure they will but I still need to get the okay. If not then I'll see if any other countries need your assistance, I'm sure they'll love to have your help. In the meantime, I'm not going to make you babysit Team Hebi but if you're going somewhere and they want to tag along just let them. Act like a wallflower, chances are if you stay out of their way they'll stay out of yours. You should probably head back though, I'm sure Naruto must be going crazy." I giggled, knowing Naruto he was annoying the shit out of Sasuke and his team.

"Hai, we have our meeting tomorrow as well so don't oversleep or forget!"

"Will do, good luck Sakura!"

I walked out of the tower feeling a lot better. I was now completely aware that I was still wearing my sundress and I didn't want to ruin my day by going home just yet. The sun was starting to set and I knew the only way I could fully enjoy this scene was by going to the beach. The beach was one of my favorite places to go to and unwind. I found this area where only Naruto and I know about and whenever we both have a day off, after training, we relax at our special spot. Our 'special spot' includes a huge wide-open field with beautiful green grass with tons of flowers and at the end of the field are these big flat boulders that are perfect for laying on that leads to the soft silky sand of the beach.

I slipped off my sandals and set them on one of the boulders. It was high tide and the air was so refreshing I opened my arms as if I was giving the sun a goodbye hug. I felt the soft breeze tickle my face and I couldn't have felt more alive by the simple occurrence When it was finally dark, I was fully refreshed and relaxed, I figured it was time to face the music and go home. I took to the rooftops in order to avoid any chances of running into anyone I knew. I really didn't need Ino interrogating me about the situation. Instead of using the front door to my house I slipped through the window into my room. I placed my hand on the floor and closed my eyes. I didn't want anyone knowing I was home so I masked my chakra and tried to feel the vibrations of the floor that indicated if anyone was moving around or awake. There were two people in the next room, one was pacing back and forth and another was sitting down, both of them were whispering and I assumed it was so they wouldn't wake anyone up. Instead of intruding I slipped on a pair of shorts and a mesh shirt and went to bed. Hoping the next day wouldn't be as horrible as I felt it would.

* * *

I was finally in Konoha. Nothing has changed whatsoever. While in the hospital I was expecting to see _her_ bust through the door with tears in her eyes reveling in the fact that I was back… but she never came. I can't really say it bothered me because it really didn't... it was just odd. After the rest of my teammates regained conscious we were ordered to meet at the hokage tower for further instructions. I was growing impatient. I really wanted to see the dobe again and spar. Madara was taken down much too easily for my taste but I know Naruto would really be a test to see how strong I've gotten. Karin and Suigetsu were already fighting on the way to the tower and it made me rethink my decision to bring them back with me.

We arrived at the tower a little early on schedule and waited in the office with the new hokage. She didn't seem fit for the job at all. Orochimaru didn't really say much about her back in sound but he did say she was one of the best medics in the world and that she had one hell of a temper. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Suigetsu eyeing her chest. I scoffed to myself; he didn't even try to hide his further observations of the hokage.

"Sasukeeeeee-kunnn can't we just leave this place and find somewhere better? I thought you said you never wanted to come back here?" Karin's incessant whining was starting to try my tolerance with her. She clung to the sleeve of my shirt with an iron grip and I shook her off without making a scene in the office.

"Karin you will do as I say or you will be executed by anbu in Konoha and I won't try to stop them." That shut her up. After what seemed like an eternity there was a soft knock at the door and my former teammates entered. Naruto actually grew and changed. He was about his height, possibly an inch or two shorter which made him about 6' 3" or 6' 2". Me being 6'4". In tow was _her._ I don't remember her being so small but she just looked so fragile and dainty. She had to be at most 5'. She was a human sized china doll. As a kid I didn't really look at anyone, I didn't have time to look for girls or enjoy the female specimen, but of course I could now. While Tsunade was explaining their terms and conditions I took the time to really look at her. Her eyes were large and the color of them was enchanting, it was a mix of emerald and jade and they sparkled in the right lighting. She had porcelain white skin with painted rosy cheeks and a button nose accompanied by long wavy pink tresses. With a tiny waist that was accented by perky breasts and a full bottom, she was the definition of perfect.

It was safe to say I was completely caught off guard. I've heard several rumors of a demon that was trapped in a goddess's body. In sound people would tell stories of seeing a flash of pink hair and then waking up in the hospital with all of their bones shattered. There was only one person in the world with pink hair and I didn't believe the person standing before me could cause so much destruction with her fists. I've also heard about her apprenticeship with the hokage and her new abilities with healing and medicine. That rumor was a lot more believable. As a kid she was never a fighter, she couldn't bring herself to hurt another being unless it was completely mandatory and that's what made her so weak.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I was asked to agree on the conditions. I already had a good idea of what was going to happen. I figured the hokage was going to send my team to live with Naruto and was to be under constant surveillance but what I wasn't expecting was that Naruto and _her_ were living together. I wasn't jealous... it was just strange. They never got along as kids and I didn't think that was going to change, but lately I haven't been 100% right with my assumptions and clearly I wasn't too thrilled about that. Throughout this whole conversation she hadn't even glanced my way. Even at the beginning as Naruto engaged me in a fight she didn't look my way. She didn't even take a moment out of her apparent busy schedule to come visit me in the hospital either. She just stared aimlessly ahead at the hokage awaiting orders. I was anything but amused. If anyone was going to do the ignoring it was going to be me. The hokage requested that she stayed when we left. Naruto was halfway out the door and I was still staring her down when finally she looked my way. She was expecting to see Naruto but instead I intervened their path of vision so she could only see me. We locked gazes for what seemed like an eternity when in reality it was only a split second. She turned her head away so fast it looked like an invisible hand slapped her across the face. I smirked knowing in that one glance that she hadn't made the whole 180 change and for some reason that made something inside of me interested in her.

Naruto was suspiciously quiet throughout the walk home. Juugo seemed at peace with Konoha. He was in his element. Juugo was very communicative with nature and it was one of the few things that he found content around. With all the wild animals and natural beauty he'd learn to be a loyal ninja in no time. Now Karin and Suigetsu on the other hand were a whole different story. Both are good at what they do but are also incredibly annoying and make any job harder than it needs to be. Naruto opened the door to the house and I really wasn't sure what to expect.

It was actually quite homey. Judging by the cleanliness and furniture I assumed _she _did the decorating. Naruto gave us a small tour of the house and then showed everyone their rooms. It was dark out and _she_ still hadn't returned home. For some reason I had this nagging feeling in my subconscious where I felt the need to speak to her. I had no idea what I wanted to speak to her about but I just felt the need to be in her presence to observe her more. I hadn't figured her out quite yet. She was an unfinished puzzle and I planned on solving it soon.

"Sasuke, we need to talk." I followed Naruto into his room a little wary of what was going on. I sat down on his floor, which I was absolutely astonished that I could even see it. I waited eagerly for him to start the conversation. I was exhausted and I wasn't sure if I was in the mood for an argument. He was still standing and he was even pacing around his room now. I assumed _her_ room was right next to his since all the other rooms were being occupied by my teammates and I. I couldn't help but wonder if she was home already.

"Sasuke you need to leave Sakura alone. " That completely caught me off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't know her anymore. She's not a toy you can just play around with and then throw away when you're bored of it. I saw the way you were looking at her at the tower and I'm warning you right now if you do anything to hurt her not only will I hunt you down but so will a hell of a lot more ninjas that will sweep the floor with you." I was dumbstruck. Was I really that obvious, or was Naruto far more observant than I thought he was? Either way I was pissed. No one was going to tell me what to do. I was going to get what I wanted one way or another and I wasn't going to let anyone get in my way.

* * *

The chapters are shorter than I want them to be right now so I promise they will gradually get longer. I'm currently planning out the plot and sequences to the story so there will be some character build up and fillers thrown in here. As I said before please review and any suggestions would be wonderful!


	3. Tower Trouble

Thank you for all the reviews! It's very much appreciated! Raikiri80 has brought it to my attention that Team Hebi was changed to Team Taka after Sasuke gained leadership and that was completely my fault for forgetting so for future reference if I refer to Sasuke's team as team taka from now on, that's why.

* * *

Summary: She made my skin crawl whenever she was in my vicinity. She was a whole new person, someone I didn't even know. She was an enigma and I hated it. I planned on breaking down every single one of her walls. I was going to find out just whom Sakura Haruno was.

_Recap: "You don't know her anymore. She's not a toy you can just play around with and then throw away when you're bored of it. I saw the way you were looking at her at the tower and I'm warning you right now if you do anything to hurt her not only will I hunt you down but so will a hell of a lot more ninjas that will sweep the floor with you." I was dumbstruck. Was I really that obvious, or was Naruto far more observant than I thought he was? Either way I was pissed. No one was going to tell me what to do. I was going to get what I wanted one way or another and I wasn't going to let anyone get in my way._

* * *

I woke up in a panic. I turned my head frantically taking in my surroundings and then I remembered where I was. I took a deep breath and laid back down in bed. The sun was already up so it had to be at least seven AM, which means I slept in. I was never one to sleep in; it was such a waste of time. I always woke up early to get in as much training time as possible and then some.

I got out of bed and searched the house to check if anyone else was awake yet. My actions throughout the house were silent, being an S-class criminal meant you had to be stealthy no matter what the situation and to always be on guard. It was just a force of habit now. I found myself being pulled in and was heading towards _her_ room. I was on autopilot and my mind was shut down. Naruto's words started swimming in my mind. _"You don't know her anymore", "She's not a toy you can just play around with," _Tch. Who was he to tell me I didn't know her anymore? Last time I checked she was obsessed with me and I didn't doubt that she still was. Memories of running into team seven at Orochimaru's hide out flooded back to me like a tsunami. I remember looking down and seeing her, Naruto and his replacement. Her face was full of shock and I remember seeing tears start to form at the corner of her eyes. She was still as pathetic as the 12-year-old girl she used to be. I only spared her a glance that day; all my attention was focused on Naruto at the time. She was always a hindrance in the past. On missions she was the weak link and the only thing she was good for was survival techniques. When it came down to combat and confronting an enemy she was completely useless.

The rumors that were circulating the world about her made me wonder if she was still as weak as she used to be. According to half the world she was a cold-hearted killer and the other half claimed she was the most caring medic an individual could come by. So which one was it? Was she as empty as everyone portrayed her to be? Back in the hokage's tower I witnessed nothing caring. She was robotic in her actions and movement. It was almost unbelievable that it was the same person. I was almost sure that she was just a vacant shell of the person she used to be but as soon as she looked at me I knew she had to be down there somewhere. Was she this cold to everyone, or just certain people? I didn't actually know but I wanted to find out. Before I knew it my feet brought me to her door. My body was still on autopilot and I was still lost in my thoughts. My hand curled into a fist and knocked on her door. It felt like an outer body experience as if someone else had control over my body. My heart started beating rapidly in my chest and then I took a step back. I took a deep breath and realized I was getting worked up over _her. _She meant nothing to me and she never will. I regained control of my body and waited a second or two until I opened her door. I walked in and realized she wasn't home. Did she even come home last night?

Since she wasn't there I took the time to look around. Her room was kind of small. There were two queen-sized mattresses on the floor in the upper left hand corner of the room, a vanity table with weapons on it in the lower left hand corner and a closet on the left side of her room. On the right side was the door to her bathroom and another door to Naruto's room. At the top of the room were two sliding doors that led to the balcony. Her room was spotless and smelled like her. It had a lingering scent of fresh vanilla. On her vanity table were pictures of people. One of them was of her and Naruto, they looked like they were at the beach and he was holding her bridal style. They both had huge smiles on their faces. Another picture was of team seven and a picture of the new team seven, minus me. The last picture was of her and a boy that he didn't know of. The boy was a good foot taller than her and had scruffy red hair with dark amethyst eyes. A scowl was glued to my face as I saw how happy they looked in the picture. She was hugging his waist and they looked like they were at the annual festival that Konoha hosted in the spring. I put the picture down and stomped out of the room.

I knocked on everyone's door and woke them up. Of course I had to physically drag Naruto by his ankles out of bed to wake him up. It was around noon when everyone was finished getting ready. The weather was beautiful so we decided to train; I needed to blow off some steam from this morning's find anyway.

"Sasuke-kun, you should train with me, I think I need some help with my footwork." Karin bent down adjusting her boot to give Sasuke a good view down her shirt.

"Ask Suigetsu or Juugo to help you, Naruto and I are sparring today." She crossed her arms and huffed in defeat. Instead of training she sat down under a tree and moped the entire time. What a nuisance. If it weren't for her tracking skills she would be long gone. Suigetsu and Juugo worked on genjutsu so Juugo wouldn't get out of hand.

"You ready Teme?! I'm going to pound you into the ground! You better watch out because I'm not going easy on you! Dattebayo!" Naruto pumped his fists in the air getting pumped and ready for the spar.

"Tch, in your dreams dobe." And then the match started. Since Team Taka was on probation none of them were supposed to hurt others or put people in danger, even when training, which meant we had to limit ourselves to only using taijutsu or genjutsu until told otherwise. I was really hoping the hokage would make an exception and allow us to use ninjutsu on the training grounds at least. I made a mental note to visit her today and ask. By the time the spar ended Naruto and I were badly bruised and I suffered with a couple broken ribs. Naruto got out with a dislocated shoulder and a couple broken fingers.

"Okay Teme… I guess… you're not as bad… as I thought you'd be." Naruto said between breaths, hunched over with his hands on his knees and trying to regain his breath he stood up straight and limped over to me.

"We should go visit Sak…she'll have us healed… in seconds but first… I need to find Sai… to babysit the other three."

"HEY, IF IT WASN'T FOR MY DEAR SASUKE-KUN I WOULDN'T EVEN BE HERE."

"Karin would you shut up? He's two feet away from you, you don't need to yell and for the last time Sasuke doesn't give two shits about you."

"Suigetsu, you're just a puddle of piss who will never find love! You don't need to take out your loneliness on me just because you've never experienced true love!"

"Don't talk to me like that woman! You're worthless!" Their bickering could've been heard throughout Konoha. I was an expert at tuning them out. I can thank Naruto for years of practice. Luckily Naruto didn't have to leave the training grounds because Sai waltzed into the area. I never had the chance to look him over but I already hated him. He had this fake smile on as soon as he approached us.

"You must be Sasuke, I've heard so much about you." Even his tone of voice reeked of condescending sarcasm but I kept my blank mask on.

"Hn."

"Dickless always said I couldn't ever compare to you but I wouldn't want to be compared to a chicken's ass anyway." So you know those moments where someone catches you off guard and you're so shocked by whatever they said that you're just rendered speechless? That's the situation I was in right now. I'm sure my eyes widened about a fraction for a split second until my usual cold demeanor returned. It didn't help the fact that Naruto and Suigetsu were laughing hysterically in the background at my new nickname.

"How dare you insult my Sasuke-kun like that! He is better than you'll ever be!"

"Oh you must be Karin, you're even uglier than ugly. I didn't think that was possible."

"EXCUSE YOU, I am much too good looking for you, and whoever this 'ugly' person is I'm probably better looking than them too!"

"Sai, you're in charge of Suigetsu, Juugo and Karin, until Naruto and I return." I needed to leave. Not only was I still in pain from the spar with Naruto but I was also getting a splitting headache from Karin's constant yelling and my replacement's snide remarks to everyone. I grabbed Naruto, who was gasping for air because he was still laughing, by the collar and went out to find _her._

* * *

I woke up insanely early this morning so I could avoid everyone. It was around three or four A.M. when I left the house with my ninja gear on. I headed to the training grounds and put in some practice. When Naruto and Sasuke left to train so long ago, so did I. I trained with Tsunade day and night, researching medicine and perfecting my chakra control. When I had nothing else to learn I set on my own journey around the world and improved my techniques further. I trained with some of the strongest ninjas alive making my techniques more diverse and myself stronger.

Last year I participated in the anbu exams and passed. Being an anbu meant I'd be put on much rigorous missions and teamwork was much more important now than it was then. My meeting with Tsunade today consisted of what position I would be on the team and who my teammates would be. It takes about a year to sort through all the people who passed the exam, assess their strengths and weakness, and then finally put teams together. It's not like choosing genin teams where it was based on a simple paper test score. Anbu teams couldn't afford any cracks or weak links. Kakashi told me once that you're team is only as strong as your weakest teammate. On an A or S class mission if one person goes down, the whole team suffers.

I didn't want to overdo anything so I just did a couple laps around the training grounds and then had lunch by myself. Once I finished, I headed to the hokage's tower. Tsunade gave me an office of my own inside the tower so I could continue my research without disruptions from my coworkers at the hospital. I always kept formal clothes there in case I needed to make a surprise appearance at meetings. I slipped my clothes on and then headed to Tsunade's office.

* * *

This girl was impossible to find. Naruto and I limped all over Konoha searching for her. We checked home, the markets, the hospital, and we even sacrificed our sanity and asked Ino where she could be. We would've gotten help at the hospital but everyone was already booked or was in an important surgery and couldn't tend to us. We finally gave up and Naruto suggested we see Tsunade herself. I had to talk to her about making an exception for training anyway so I figured I might as well kill two birds with one stone. I had one arm slung over Naruto's shoulder so I could lean against him. It was getting hard to breathe because of the broken ribs. I'm pretty sure by now there was a lot more damage because I was running around with injuries.

Right before Naruto was about to bust down the door it was opened and we were face to face with the person we've been searching high and low for. The wind was practically knocked out of me when I saw what she was wearing.

She was clad in a skin tight, long sleeve, mid-thigh black dress that was matched with black stilettos. The black made her look even more slender and the heels made her legs look magnificent. She was gorgeous. I leaned on the wall for support for a moment to catch my breath and then I saw her lunge in Naruto's direction. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he picked her up with his good arm and spun her around in a circle. When he set her down on her feet she looked like she was about to cry.

"SAKURA, ARE YOU OKAY WHAT HAPPENED? DO I NEED TO BEAT SOMEONE UP? YOU KNOW I WILL. WHO WAS IT? WHO DID THIS TO YOU? WAS IT BAA-CHAN? I'LL GIVE HER AN EAR FULL−"

"Naruto, no! Stop! It's okay I'm fine! I'm not crying because I'm sad! I'm actually really happy!"

"Well then spit it out! What happened Sak?" I was pretty eager to hear what happened as well. I leaned in to hear what she would say. She stepped back from us and looked left and right a couple times pondering over something. She got really close to us and whispered,

"You guys look pretty beat up, let's go to my office so I can heal you guys there and I'll tell you about the meeting." I assumed she wasn't supposed to be telling us about the information that was disclosed to her. I was still a bit peeved at her presence though. Once again throughout this whole encounter she never made eye contact or even glanced my way but she knew I was there. Frankly, I was absolutely sick of being ignored. I couldn't help but grimace at her open affection towards Naruto as she grabbed his hand and led him to her office while I followed them gripping my left side full of broken and now shattered ribs. She unlocked her office and we stepped in. Her office was a bit plain with white walls and finished wood floors. There were light green, floor length curtains that covered the large windows. Her desk was centered in the middle of the two windows and was neat as well.

Naruto and I took a seat on a black leather couch in the middle of the room. Of course she tended to Naruto's wounds first even though it was perfectly clear that my injuries were worse. She stood in front of him between his legs and started healing him. Her chakra was a mint green when her hand hovered over his shoulder. When she was finished she started to heal his broken fingers and then began to speak.

"It's not really a big deal that you guys know about this I just have to make sure it doesn't get out of the village." She took a deep breath and a huge smile graced her lips and her eyes started to sparkle with enthusiasm.

"Hokage-sama assigned positions and people for my new team."

"New team?! Does that mean we won't be a team anymore?!"

"Of course not! We'll still be a team but I'll just have another team." I was completely lost. I had no idea what 'team' she was even talking about. Naruto looked my way and noticed how uncomfortable I was.

"Sak, my fingers are fine. Teme's injuries are pretty bad. We had an intense spar today and it got a little out of hand. We didn't use ninjutsu though, promise!" Sakura gave a small smile to him and then slipped on this blank mask and walked towards me.

"You're going to have to lie down and take your shirt off." She stated coldly, while looking past me, instead of at me. Was I such a bother that she couldn't even look at me? I stood up and planted my feet directly in front of her. I smirked down at her realizing that with stilettos on she only reached the top of my shoulders and assumed she'd only reach right below my chest with them off.

She stood her ground and didn't budge. If she wanted to play the hard way, I'd play it the hard way. I grabbed the ends of my shirt and slowly lifted it exposing my stomach.

* * *

As soon as I opened the door to see Naruto I couldn't contain my happiness. I was so excited to tell him about the news, but then I saw _him_ and wanted to just run away. I led them to my office to heal them noticing how badly they looked.

I don't really know how I feel about him just yet. Hate was a strong word, but I was really close to it. Did he really think I was just going to forget everything he did to Naruto and me? I wasn't as forgiving as the others. He was a cold- hearted killer who not only tried to kill Naruto several times but ME as well. I can't just snap my fingers and be like 'Oh don't worry! It's fine that you tried to kill me! I forgive you!' I admit I tried to kill him too, but ONLY because he tried to kill us first! He was going crazy for kami's sake! And now that he waltzed back into Konoha with his little lackey's I'm expected to just forget all of our history and forgive him? Hell no. Honestly, I was more afraid of him than mad though. He'd have to do a lot of work to get me to trust him again.

I hated how Naruto forgave him so easily. Naruto sees the good in everyone and it just doesn't come as easy to me. I can't say _he_ hurt me more than he hurt Naruto but he just hurt me in various ways that affected me differently. Naruto dealt with the pain of his departure a lot better than I did.

I was jolted away from my thoughts when I realized he was hovering over me and then proceeded to strip. If I were the same 12 year old I would've fainted. As much as I didn't like him I couldn't deny how attractive he was. My eyes scanned his incredibly toned abs and I had to refrain myself from turning into a tomato. I didn't dare look up into his eyes. I didn't want to see him but his presence was suffocating me.

"Hey Sak! I have to ask Baa-chan something real quick so I'll be right back!" I didn't even have time to protest since he dashed out so fast. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest. I couldn't believe Naruto just left me alone with _him. _I couldn't stand it, I put my hands on his chest and pushed him back. Surprisingly, he laid down and didn't complain. My hands hovered over his bare chest and I tried my best to hide the blush that I felt appearing.

"You can put your shirt back on, you're ribs are healed. Also sit up so I can check for other injuries."

"Hn."

I hated his one-syllable responses. He sat up and slipped his shirt on. He was staring at me and I felt like his gaze was burning a hole through me. I refused to look at him. I was afraid if I did I'd forget all the reasons why I hated him and all the walls I worked so hard to build would come crashing down.

I noticed bruises on his collarbone and on his jawline. I stepped in between his legs and realized I was only half a head taller than him when he was sitting down. My fingertips floated over his jawline and I started heal his bruises. I felt something graze my thigh and thought I was getting pins and needles from standing too long. After a couple seconds it happened again and I realized something, or someone, was touching me.

Before I knew it an arm was wrapped around me _he_ was standing. I was firmly pressed to his chest and I looked up ready to scream at him. He rested his forehead against mine so I couldn't escape or look away and he looked right into my eyes. I felt his heavy breathing fan my face and I felt like time stopped. His onyx orbs were hypnotizing and I was spellbound. I could practically hear my heart pounding in my ears beating a mile a minute. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. I shut my eyes tightly and tried to gain control by pushing him away but I felt the pressure of his hands on my lower back increase. He bent down and leaned into the side of my head.

"I missed you."

* * *

So there it is! Read and Review (:!


	4. Capture the Flag

Thank you guys so much for the wonderful reviews! I love hearing about your opinions and suggestions (:

* * *

Summary: She made my skin crawl whenever she was in my vicinity. She was a whole new person, someone I didn't even know. She was an enigma and I hated it. I planned on breaking down every single one of her walls. I was going to find out just whom Sakura Haruno was.

_Recap: __Before I knew it an arm was wrapped around me he was standing. I was firmly pressed to his chest and I looked up ready to scream at him. He rested his forehead against mine so I couldn't escape or look away and he looked right into my eyes. I felt his heavy breathing fan my face and I felt like time stopped. His onyx orbs were hypnotizing and I was spellbound. I could practically hear my heart pounding in my ears beating a mile a minute. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. I shut my eyes tightly and tried to gain control by pushing him away but I felt the pressure of his hands on my lower back increase. He bent down and leaned into the side of my head. _

"_I missed you."_

* * *

The door busted open to a screaming Naruto.

"Hey Sak! Guess wha−" Before he could finish his sentence I was out the door. I jumped out the nearest window and rolled onto a roof. I didn't dare look back while I viciously ran into the forest.

* * *

"TEME, WHAT DID YOU FUCKING DO?" Naruto had me in a headlock by now and I was struggling to get out. It was weird; he became a million times stronger whenever it came to someone hurting _her. _He was so protective of her and it was so annoying.

"Dobe, I didn't do anything to her!" He let go of me, kicked me to the ground and then grabbed my collar and brought me close to his face.

"TEME DID YOU LISTEN TO ME AT ALL LAST NIGHT? I'LL REPEAT MYSELF ONE MORE TIME FOR YOU. DON'T. PLAY. WITH. HER. FEELINGS." I gave him the meanest glare I could. He could tell me as many times as he wanted but I wasn't going to listen to him. He pushed me away from him and turned around about to walk out.

"Come on, I'm going to drop you off with Sai and everyone. I need to go see if Sak's okay." Kill me. I'd rather get beaten up by Naruto and have him break every bone in my body than spend time with that imposter.

I followed him back home and opened the front door to see Suigetsu doubled over and laughing with tears in his eyes while Karin was chasing Sai around the house with a butcher knife.

* * *

I ran to the training grounds to blow off some steam. I was a whirlpool of emotions and I didn't know how to process what just happened.

The cold-hearted asshole just said he _missed _me. I couldn't believe he actually had the audacity to invade my personal space and just grab me like that! By the time I calmed myself down the training grounds were absolutely destroyed. The land looked like an earthquake and a hurricane swept through. Trees were randomly thrown and broken all over the place while pieces of land were elevated with enormous trenches and cracks. I was lucky that Naruto walked in when he did. I didn't know how far _he _was going to take things but I knew if he went any farther… he'd be in a coma. I didn't know what he wanted from me but whatever it was, he wasn't going to get it.

I heard a branch crack a couple yards behind me and spun around immediately transitioning into a battle stance.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Chill out Sak, you don't need to get all defensive, it's just me!" Naruto had his hands up in the air as if I just caught him doing something he shouldn't have been.

"Don't sneak up on me like that! I could've hurt you!"

"I'm sorry! You just looked so engulfed in what you were doing, I didn't want to barge in and make you mad." He said with big puppy dog eyes making me feel guilty for yelling at him. I sighed and chuckled.

"It's okay I forgive you, shouldn't you be babysitting right now?"

"Nah, I left them with Sai, I needed to make sure you were okay. What happened Sak? Did he hurt you? I will break that bastard in two if he did anything! Dattebayo!" Naruto was the best friend a person could have. He was always looking out for me and I was forever grateful for everything he's done for me. I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I was so small compared to everyone now. I just reached his chest. He returned the hug and we just stayed like that for a while. I looked up at him and said,

"I'm good Naruto, I can handle this one myself. I can't rely on you for everything." Naruto looked down at me and gave me a half smile looking unsure about what I said.

"Alright, but if it gets to be too much for you I'm intervening and kicking his ass." I laughed at his remark and gave him another quick hug.

"Let's go home, you still haven't formerly met the rest of Teme's team!"

* * *

I was currently planning my suicide. I thought I was the one that was supposed to be watched, not the other way around. I currently had Karin locked in her room, screaming a stream of curses about her murder against Sai and the man himself was sitting across from me, with his signature fake smile plastered onto his face that I so desperately wanted to smack off. Suigetsu and Juugo were on the deck in back feeding birds. Well, Juugo was feeding the birds and Suigetsu was napping.

I heard the door click open and heard two very familiar voices.

"HEY EVERYONE, DINNER TIME." Naruto strolled in the kitchen with Sakura following him laughing. He had two large bags of take out in his arms and set it on the island in the kitchen. Naruto said bye to Sai and showed him the door. Juugo and Suigetsu entered the kitchen as well while I went up stairs and fetched Karin.

"Sasuke-kunnnnnnn, how about you and me pack up our things and leave this place, just the two of us!" Karin clung to my arm and pleaded.

"Karin you know just as well as I do that we can't just leave Juugo and Suigetsu. This is my home and it's yours now too. And stop telling people I'm yours. I belong to no one." I slipped my arm out of her grip and walked down stairs. We both entered the kitchen while everyone was grabbing food from containers.

"Oh I forgot to introduce myself to everyone! I'm Sakura Haruno, I'm the other roommate here." She made her way over to Suigetsu and shook his hand and did the same to Juugo. Karin was still beside me and I saw Sakura hesitate when she saw me. She walked over to Karin and held her hand out with a smile on her face. Karin scoffed and smacked her hand away.

"I know who you are and I'm warning you right now," Karin invaded Sakura's personal space and stood an inch away from her face. Karin was about a head taller than Sakura and looked down at her with a menacing glare. "if you try to do anything with my Sasuke-kun I will make sure you never see the light of day again." Sakura stepped back and I was amused to see she had a smirk on her face.

"Don't flatter yourself, I can guarantee you that I could beat you in a fight in under five minutes. The only thing you're good for is tracking along with your under average healing ability." Karin's mouth dropped to the ground while Sakura kept a smirk on her face.

"You might want to shut your mouth, you're going to catch flies." Karin stomped her way back upstairs into her room.

"You are my HERO!" Suigetsu was full out applauding her.

"Thank you, thank you! She took a bow and then started to laugh. She took a seat next to Juugo and gave him a sweet smile.

"You're a medic, correct?" Juugo was very soft spoken when he wasn't going crazy.

"I am, do you need help with anything?" She was so disgustingly professional if I was Naruto I'd be making gagging noises.

"I have a condition and I was wondering if you could possibly help me with it."

"I'd have to do a few tests but I'd love to try and help you." Everyone threw around some small talk that was mostly lead by Naruto.

"SAKURA OH MY GOD I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO ASK YOU, WHAT POSITION DID YOU GET ON YOUR ANBU TEAM?" I almost choked on my food. Anbu? He had to be mistaken. There's no way _she_ could have made it into the anbu ranks. She wasn't strong enough for that. I looked over at her and she had the most triumphant smile on her face, she took a deep breath and finally said,

"THEY MADE ME CAPTAIN!" I was full out choking on my food and I was gasping for air. Was this a dream? Was I actually dead? What the fuck was going on! How could she have gotten so strong in such a short time? It was impossible. I refused to believe it!

"HOLY CRAP, NO WAY. SAKURA I'M SO PROUD, WE HAVE TO CELEBRATE SOON!" Naruto was pumping his fists in the air in excitement and I was still trying to catch my breath.

"Not tonight, I'm beat. We'll celebrate soon though, I promise."

Everyone cleaned up and said their good nights. I couldn't sleep the entire night. I was in shock that the rumors around the world about _her_ just might be true.

* * *

I actually got a couple hours of sleep. I woke up at five and walked downstairs. My nightmare was sitting at the island looking at me with that same fake smile.

"Good morning chicken ass, wake up the rest of your team and get ready. We need to get to the training grounds before Ugly and Dickless." A vein in my forehead pulsed and my fists were clenched tightly. I stomped upstairs and almost ripped everyone's door off its hinges. Team Taka was ready in seconds in fear of upsetting me further. Sai led us to the training grounds in silence, which I was extremely grateful for.

I was surprised to see team eight, nine and ten waiting at the training grounds. They were standing on opposite sides of the field and there was big white line that read 'FINISH'. I noticed Sakura, Naruto and Rock Lee weren't present either.

"Hey what's going on here?" Suigetsu asked the crowd and Ino responded.

"We're having a race right now! Sakura, Naruto and Lee are the fastest ninjas in Konoha and they want to see who's the fastest. The three of them woke up at around two AM. They have to run from here to Wind country and back."

"Wait what? That's at least a three day travel why are you waiting for them now?"

"It would be a three day travel for a regular jounin, but for a ninja at their level it should only take about ten hours. Because they're running at full speed it should take even less than that." Just as Ino finished her sentence we saw a blur of pink. If we were regular civilians we wouldn't have seen a thing. She stopped a couple yards away from the finish line.

"Sakura what are you doing! Hurry up and finish!" Ino started yelling maniacally.

"Chill out pig! They're so far behind, they won't catch up anytime soon!" She started to skip to the finish line and fool around when suddenly a blur of bright yellow came flying through shortly behind.

"SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT." She sped up and managed to cross the finish line a split second before Naruto.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA, DID I SCARE YOU SAK?" She was lying face down on the ground in the grass with her arms covering her head. She got up and tackled Naruto to the ground. I was completely pissed off. When the fuck did she change so much? How did she become so strong all of a sudden?

"NARUTO YOU ASSHOLE, I ALMOST PEED MYSELF." She was on top of him and was repeatedly slapping and punching him. After a minute or two we saw Lee jogging and wheezing. As he reached the finish line he dropped and laid down face first in the dirt. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. I was sending daggers her way and I made it more than obvious. She glanced at my team and I and saw my disapproving look. She whipped her ahead the opposite direction and focused on Lee.

"I…give…up." Tenten and Neji each grabbed one of Lee's arms and dragged him under the nearest tree to catch his breath.

"WE HAVE OUR WINNER, SAKURA HARUNO IS HEREBY THE FASTEST NINJA IN KONOHA." Everyone in the village could've heard Ino by then. She ran to Sakura and raised one of her hands in the air to signify her as the victor.

"THAT'S SO NOT FAIR I CALL A REMATCH. NO ONE TOLD ME THERE WAS GOING TO BE A TORNADO ON TODAYS FORECAST IN THE LAND OF WIND!"

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU DECIDED TO HIDE UNDER A ROCK NARUTO. YOU COULD'VE RAN THROUGH IT LIKE I DID."

"SAKURA YOU'RE NUTS."

"NOPE, I'M THE WINNER!" They continued bickering for another five minutes until Kiba spoke up.

"Hey guys, are we going to play capture the flag or what?"

"HELL YEAH WE ARE, MY TEAM'S GOING TO ANNIHILATE YOU!"

"Naruto, shut up, we haven't even chosen teams yet."

"You two, get ready and explain the rules to Sasuke and his teammates while we get prepared, we'll meet back here in an hour."

"Hai!" Sakura and Naruto saluted and Kiba and waited until everyone left.

"Isn't the point of capture the flag to get the opponent's flag onto your side?" Karin was clearly bored and didn't want to take part in the activity.

"For a normal game of capture the flag it would be as easy as that, but the way we play it is much different. Shikamaru and I were playing shougi and got bored one day so we got everyone together and made our own rules to the game. The rules are so simple that even Naruto got it the first time he played."

"Hey Sak! Don't be mean!" She giggled and continued to explain the game.

"Okay, okay, okay. So the rules are, there are two teams split evenly, each team gets to choose how to manipulate and create their side of the land, meaning they can use animals, set booby traps, etc. They also get to choose where their 'jail' will be. In a normal game of capture the flag the person would have to grab a piece of cloth or something off of you but in this game the only way you can get into jail is if you fall unconscious. Most of the time you'll get carried to the opponent's jail unless you wake up in time. In that case they'll just lead you there. To get out of jail one of the members from your team has to find the jail and tag you out of it. It's against the rules to kill anyone but I think that's pretty obvious. Finally, the flag. The flag is incredibly small, it's about the size of my hand and it can be anywhere. It can be underground, in the trees, or even in plain site. Watch out for copies as well; in the past people have rigged fake flags with exploding tags and other booby traps. That's the gist of it though. Let's all gear up and get ready!"

"No thanks, this game sounds dumb I'll sit this one out." Karin sat down under a tree.

"Me too, it's a nice day out. I'd rather enjoy the weather." Juugo sat down next to Karin.

"Okay then I guess it's us four! Let's go!" Naruto pumped his fists in the air as we went to get our gear.

We ran back to the house and Naruto pulled down a string from the ceiling that was actually a staircase that lead to the attic. The attic was a fucking armory. It was filled with every weapon possibly created in the ninja world. There were even really rare weapons that were supposedly only passed down in clans. Naruto walked over to a large steel trunk and opened it up. He tossed Suigetsu and I black chest plates along with black shin guards and black arm protection.

"You guys are going to need those it gets pretty brutal." Suigetsu and I gave each other unsure looks. We were also given long sleeved black shirts and pants.

"Everyone wears black and when we choose teams we're given a color bandana. The bandana, as you guys could guess, signifies which team you're on." We chose a couple weapons as well. Suigetsu and I chose swords and supplied ourselves with a decent amount of kunai and shuriken. I looked around the room and realized _she_ was nowhere in sight.

"Hey guys are you almost ready to go? We're supposed to be there soon!" Speak of the devil. I tried not to make it look like I was ignoring her but I checked her out from the corner of my eye. Her hair was a bit messy and it was in a single braid that was slung over her shoulder. She had on black pants and shin guards, arm protection like ours but instead of a chest plate and a long sleeved shirt she wore a cropped tube top and didn't bother with a chest plate. I could see a sword peeking out from behind her as well.

"We're ready! TIME TO KICK SOME ASS!" We all dashed out of the house and ran to the field. When we arrived everyone was dressed in black. All the guys were wearing the same attire and the girls wore something to their taste but in black to abide by the rules.

"ALRIGHT, TIME TO PICK TEAMS," Ino yelled and held out straws. "Whoever gets the two longest straws are the team captains." We all took a straw and then looked around to see who would be the captains.

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN SAKURA. MY TEAM'S GOING TO DOMINATE."

"I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU EAT THOSE WORDS WHEN I LAND YOUR ASS IN JAIL NARUTO."

"ALRIGHT, NARUTO AND SAKURA ARE OUR TEAM CAPTAINS. Take your pick you guys." They went back and forth calling people's names. By the end of it Naruto's team consisted of Tenten, Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, Sai and myself. On Sakura's team were Ino, Hinata, Rock Lee, Kiba, and Shino. Ino took out a scroll and made a few hand signs and then pressed onto the seal. Two boxes appeared containing our bandanas. Sakura's team wore red bandanas and Naruto's team wore blue bandanas.

When everyone finished tying their bandanas we all immediately ran into different directions. We were deep into the woods and we crouched down and huddled together. Naruto took out a piece of paper and two scrolls. He made a couple hand signs and pressed down onto the seal and appeared a small blue flag and a large blue glowing ring. Naruto picked the ring up and flung it south of our current destination.

"That's the jail. Everyone memorize where it is. Sai, take the flag and hide it exactly 3 miles northeast from the jail. I don't care if you bury it or hide it in a tree just make sure it isn't visible." Sai took the flag and ran off. Naruto then took the piece of paper, which contained blue prints.

"Okay guys, so I have a feeling that Sak's taking things under ground so I'm stepping it up a notch." The blue prints displayed different levels of mountains and ledges along with several red "X's".

"Teme, I forgot to tell you, everyone usually makes their own layout of how they want their terrain to be along with the land on a blue print and then when we actually play we're given a scroll. The blue print is then placed on the scroll and is activated by a couple hand seals. By the end of it you're terrain will be life sized and ready for action. Another tip the red "X's" are booby traps so try not to run into those."

"Yeah, when we first started playing the game Naruto would run into his own traps and we'd have to fish him out of them, it was such a drag." Shikamaru sighed while sitting back. All of a sudden we felt the ground rumble softly.

"The game is on." Naruto smiled evilly.

"Teme follow me, Tenten and Neji stick together, Shikamaru and Choji you guys know the deal. Sai's watching over the jail from a distance. Let's kick some ass guys." We all jumped into the trees and started running towards the opponent's side. Tenten and Neji went west, Shikamaru and Choji went east and Naruto and I went north. We quickly scaled a tall mountain and took refuge under bushes. We were at an advantage because from this point we could see our entire terrain. If anyone approached the area, we'd know.

Suddenly we heard branches snap along with a strand of curses. Naruto and I were on our feet in a second. We arrived at the area and looked up and saw Ino hanging upside down from a tree with a rope tide around her ankle unconscious. We retrieved her body and I noticed a senbon that was coated in some type of sleep medicine in her neck and took it out. There was a lot more to this game then I thought there would be.

"She's going to be out for a while." Naruto quickly created a clone and the clone carried her on his back to the jail.

Just then a flash of pink jolted through the trees and then everything went black.

"Teme…Teme, you okay?" I woke up lying down beside Naruto in the grass with a throbbing headache.

"What happened?" I stated clutching my head in agony.

"You guys weren't fast enough!" I looked up and saw _her_ standing over Naruto and I with that same triumphant smile she had on her face the night before. I scowled and looked away. Beside her was Hinata fiddling with her thumbs.

"Shut up Sak! Someone will come for us and then you'll be in big trouble!"

Whatever you say Naruto! I told you I'd land your ass in jail!"

"Hinata I'm going to go out and find the flag! Make sure no one tags these guys out!"

"Hai…"

* * *

I was on a roll. Naruto and the asshole didn't even see me coming. I knocked them out swiftly by a pressure point on the back of their necks and brought them back to jail ON THEIR OWN TURF, AND I GOT AWAY WITHOUT BEING CAUGHT. Naruto knows that the terrain I build always involves elaborate tunnels underground. It's pitch black too so the only way you could see is with trained night vision, special senses, or the byakugan. The sharingan can see a person's chakra flow face to face but it can't see through barriers or the dark like the byakugan can.

Luckily the girls and I have been doing some special training underground with a very well known ninja that goes by the name Densetsu Chikyuu. We call her Chiki-sama for short. She has us train underground in the dark through tunnels and caves to enhance our other senses such as our sense of smell and hearing. She also taught us a technique where we spread our chakra throughout the area making it so we can feel the area and our surroundings without actually seeing it. It's also handy for other instances such as figuring out where you are if someone kidnaps you and you're trying to escape.

Because of the special training we all have an enormous advantage on our turf. The only one who could possibly travel through the tunnels without difficulty on the opposing team is Tenten and that's because she trains with us too. I had Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru and Shino stay underground and patrol the tunnels. Shino uses his bugs to help him guide his way through the tunnels. We also put scented tags in certain areas to help Kiba find his way through the tunnels with his heightened sense of smell. We put good scented tags for safety zones and bad scented smells for booby traps. I haven't been a captain since I started training but I knew Naruto already knew my terrain was going to be mostly underground. What he DIDN'T know was how elaborate it was going to be.

Since Naruto knew my terrain I knew he would try to one up me so I was curious to explore his terrain. Ino hadn't returned back to the base in a while so I knew something was up. My first mission was to find the jail. Knowing Naruto he wouldn't have someone hide the flag far away from the jail just because he'd probably forget where it was. I hid mine close to the jail too. It made things easier that way.

I had to hand it to Naruto though. Making mountains as a terrain was an extremely smart thing to do. I tried my best to stick to bushes and I would use my chakra to feel my surroundings a little, not too far though, I didn't want the others to sense me on their side. Being in the mountains made me very vulnerable to someone spotting me. I took my chances and peered over a ledge and to my luck I spotted Ino sitting down in jail. Sai suddenly spotted me as he looked up straight at me from below.

"INTRUDER, GUYS, WATCH OUT, INTRU−" I jumped down and hit him over the head with the hilt of my sword in a panic.

"Forehead! Tag me out and let's get out of here!" I slapped her hand and grabbed her out of the glowing blue ring.

"Hey pig, take Sai back to our jail and go on without me. I'm going to try and find the flag it should be around here somewhere."

"Alright, get back safely. I'm going to go east so I can avoid the mountains. I'll see you on the other side soon!" Ino put Sai on her back and jumped into the trees. I felt around my surroundings and spotted the flag northeast from my current destination. I jumped into the trees and was off. I swiftly scaled the mountain ahead and looked back a couple times in fear of getting caught. When I reached the top I searched around and didn't see anyone nearby. I slid down the mountain gracefully and swan dived off a cliff and flipped. I landed on the ground in silence and felt around my surroundings once again. I felt where the flag was but didn't see it. I looked up into a tree and searched the area a little bit more until I came to the conclusion that Naruto must've buried it. I put on my gloves along with a kunai and started to dig.

"Fuck yeah! I got it!" I jumped up and cheered while waving the small blue flag in my hands.

"Not on my watch." I froze. I knew that voice. I whipped around looking for him but I couldn't see him. I held one of my arms out about chest length and another close to my body, I took a defensive stance and prepared for a fight.

"Quit hiding and face me Uchiha!" I took careful steps around the area getting ready to make a run for it when I got goosebumps all over as I felt someone breathing down my neck.

"Now what happened to calling me Sasuke-kun?" I felt his arms snake around my waist and I elbowed him in his stomach and jumped back.

"Don't you EVER touch me again! You chose to leave my life and I'm not about to let you back in!" I put both my hands up again preparing myself for what may come next.

"Fine, if you want to play games, I'll play your game."

And then the fight began.

* * *

Alright! There it is guys! I'm trying to make my chapters a bit more lengthy. I love hearing about suggestions and your overall opinions so please review and tell me how it is. Thank you tons!


End file.
